Always Here
by JPM1978
Summary: The Vice team was always a family. But now they have families of their own. Although their children enjoy an idyllic childhood, sheltered from their parents' dangerous jobs, eventually time catches up with them. These stories follow some of the events of their young lives as they grow to understand what their parents have been through.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Miguel and Ali Castillo, Roni Tubbs, and Jake and Alicia Ballard belong to xXBalorBabeXx who writes some great Miami Vice stories!**

"C'mon, Miguel, won't you help us turn the jump rope?" five year old Alison Castillo begged. "We need a third person!"

Her brother didn't lift his eyes from his Hardy Boys Mystery book. "Nah, I wanna finish my book."

 _"Please?"_

He looked up for a moment, squinting in the hot Miami sun. "Well I wanted to play tag with you guys earlier and you said no, Ali!" He turned his eyes back to his book and absentmindedly wiggled his front tooth.

"You have a loose tooth, Miguel?" their friend Veronica "Roni" Tubbs observed with curiosity. Setting the jump rope down, she peered closer to Miguel to get a better look.

"Yep! Second one this month! Last time, the tooth fairy brought me a dollar!" he told her with pride.

Veronica was impressed. "Wow!" She crossed her arms. "I haven't lost any teeth yet," she added regretfully.

Miguel was happy to be the voice of wisdom and experience. Even though he was two years older, being the quieter of the two siblings, it didn't often happen. "Well, you guys are only in kindergarten. When you're in second grade like me, you'll be losing teeth all the time!"

"You think its going to come out today?" Ali asked, squinting and craning her neck to get a good look. "Last time Dad pulled out your tooth you screamed like a girl!"

"Shut up Ali, I did not! This morning Dad said this one's just barely loose and that I need to keep wiggling it for a few more days."

Ali was thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, you know what Jake said? He said you can tie a string to a tooth and tie the other end to a door. Then you slam the door and it comes right out!"

Miguel and Roni's eyes widened and they exchanged a surprised glance. "No way!" Miguel shook his head. "Jake doesn't know what he's talking about."

Jake Ballard and his twin sister, Alicia, were a year ahead of Miguel in school. They were also the children of Caroline Ballard, their godfather Sonny Crockett's ex-wife. The kids had known each other from birth and Alicia was friends with Ali, but Jake tended to be a bit of a troublemaker. He and Miguel did not get along.

"C'mon! Let's give it a try!" Ali took his hand and pulled her brother into the house and up to his room with Roni following close behind. "Stay here," she ordered him and he obediently took a seat on his bed.

Running to her mother's closet, she retrieved a ball of string and ran back to the other two kids.

"I don't know about this, Ali…" Miguel said nervously.

"Yeah, Ali. Are you sure this is a good idea?" Roni added.

"Aw, Miguel, it'll only hurt for a second! Don't be such a wuss!"

Miguel took a deep breath and looked over to Roni, who stared at him expectantly. He certainly didn't want to chicken out in front of her. "Alright," he grumbled.

"Cool!" Ali exclaimed and carefully tied one end of the thread into a loop and wrapped it around Miguel's front tooth, then tied the other end to the door knob. She stood poised with her hand on the door. "Okay big brother, get ready!"

Gina stood in front of the refrigerator, wishing somehow the contents would effortlessly materialize into dinner for that night. She had finally decided to call Martin and tell him to stop and get Thai take-out on his way home when she heard a door slam upstairs followed by a scream and the sound of sobbing. Immediately her adrenaline kicked in and she flew up the stairs and opened the door to Miguel's room.

There, a tearful Miguel sat on the floor whimpering with his hand over his mouth while Roni stood over him, her eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Wow, it worked!" Ali exclaimed over his sobs, triumphantly holding up his small tooth with a strand of thread still hanging from it.

"Miguelito! What in the world is going on in here?" Gina demanded, grabbing a tissue and kneeling down beside her son.

"Alison… pulled… my… tooth… out! And it hurt!" Miguel gasped between sobs, his voice muffled by the hand he kept over his mouth. He pulled his hand away, and upon seeing blood, cried even harder. Gina gently held him.

"It wasn't that bad Miguel." Ali said, crossing her arms in front of herself.

Gina looked to her daughter while rubbing Miguel's back. "Alison Elena Castillo! What in the world possessed you to do such a thing?"

"I just wanted to see if it would work! _He_ said it was okay!" she defended.

Gina sighed. "Go to the bathroom and wash your face and rinse your mouth, Miguel. You'll be fine. And Alison? Leave the dental work to the professionals from now on, okay?"

"Yes Mama," Ali grumbled, crossing her arms in front of herself, she turned to her brother. "And sorry, Miguel," she added sheepishly."

After a moment, Miguel gave her a gap-toothed smile. "It's okay, Ali. At least now I get another dollar from the tooth fairy!"

Ali brightened. "Do I get a cut since I pulled it out?"

"No!" Miguel insisted.

"But Izzy said…."

"Alison Elena!" Gina warned.

"Oh fine. But before you know it, the tooth fairy will be bring me my own dollar! And no way will I share!"


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm telling you Rico, this babysitting thing is a piece of cake!" Sonny took a seat on the park bench beside Rico as they watched Ali, Miguel, Roni, Jake and Alicia at the park. Recently, Gina Calabrese-Cast had returned to work and Sonny had graciously offered to help watch his godchildren, 5 year old Alison and 7 year old Miguel after school.

"Mmm Hmm…" Rico responded trying not to laugh.

"Seriously! All I have to do is pick the kids up from school, then they play together until Gina and Martin come home. It's a great…" Sonny was interrupted by a small hand tugging on his jacket. "Yes Miguel?"

"Uncle Sonny? I have to go to the bathroom."

"Sure kiddo!" Sonny escorted his godson to the restroom, then quickly returned and sat back beside Rico. "See? Piece of cake. I love being able to experience all the stuff I missed with Billy."

"I don't know Sonny, you haven't had to deal with the terrible twos, or potty training. All I can say is, kids were made cute for a reason! Sometimes Roni can be so sassy, I feel like I'm dealing with a miniature version of Trudy! So does Gina have you doing housework too?"

"Nah, I offered but she says she and Marty would rather do that themselves. They think I can't handle that! Do you believe it?"

"Well considering what a neat-nick Marty is, and your idea of cleaning is having Elvis eat whatever's on the floor, makes sense to me!"

"Very funny Rico. Besides…Yes Miguel?" Again, Sonny was interrupted by a tugging on his jacket.

"Can I get a drink of water?"

"Of course, but can't you go over there by yourself?" Sonny pointed off in the distance. "The drinking fountain is just behind those trees."

"My mom says I can't go anywhere she can't see me!" Miguel protested.

Sonny nodded. He knew Martin had many enemies from his past, particularly Dale Menton and Edward Reese, and he and Gina were pretty cautious with their children, "You got it kid." He walked Miguel over to the drinking fountain and returned to Rico.

"The best part of the job is Marty's cooking! Man he makes the best Japanese and Thai food I've ever had!"

"Beats a steady diet of beer, eh buddy?"

"Yeah, gotta set a better example for the kids! You know…" Again, Sonny felt someone beside him tapping his shoulder. "Yes Miguel?"

Miguel took a deep breath, his voice a bit shaky as if he were near tears. "Jake is making fun of me again and keeps calling me 'four eyes.' Tell him to stop being so mean!"

"Now hang on a second, if you tattle, he's just going to tease you more. Just ignore him and he'll eventually get bored and leave you alone."

Miguel was thoughtful, and stared at Sonny through very serious deep-brown eyes, and for a moment Rico and Sonny felt they were being stared down by their former boss.

"Okay, I'll try," he agreed eventually and hurried back to the playground.

"How are Gina and Caroline getting along now that the kids are friends?"

"I think Jake and Miguel don't get along too well, too much difference in personality. But Ali and Alicia seem to have fun. I think it's hard for Caroline not to see Gina every time she sees Ali, but so far she seems accepting. But I wish she didn't blame Gina for…hang on Miguel… for everything that happened. It really had nothing to do with… _Miguel, hang on_!"

"But Uncle Sonny!"

"Miguel, what in the world is so important that it can't wait a second?"

Miguel was breathless from running. "Jake kept teasing me and laughing and calling me names then Ali came over and said 'Freeze! Miami Vice!' and Jake laughed and then she tackled him and tied him up with her jump rope. Look!" He pointed at the playground.

Sonny and Rico were at first startled to hear the normally quiet Miguel Castillo string together so many words in one sentence, but were even more surprised when they followed Miguel's finger and saw across the park Jake Ballard tied to the jungle gym while Alison skipped happily around him, Alicia and Roni looking on from a distance. Sonny jumped up from the bench and dashed to the playground.

"Alison, what's goin' on here darlin'?" Sonny asked sweetly.

Ali put her hands on her hips and faced Jake. "He's under 'rest for teasing my brother! Mommy says teasing is naughty and my Daddy says naughty people go to jail!"

"Daddy doesn't put people in jail for teasing, Ali!" Miguel, ever the voice of reason, protested.

"She's crazy! Hurry up and untie me!" Jake pleaded.

Alison pointed at Jake. "You have the right to 'main silent!"

It took every ounce of Sonny's restraint not to burst out laughing. "Darlin', I think you are such a brave girl standing up for your brother, but I think you should leave the discipline to the adults, okay?"

"Ha! Yeah Miguel, too bad you need your baby sister to defend you!" Jake laughed.

"Shut up Jake, I do not!" Miguel shouted back.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, Jake! Don't forget you're still tied up!" Alicia giggled, along with Roni and Miguel.

"You all be quiet!" Jake whined.

"Alright kid, I'll untie you, but no teasing, you hear?" Sonny went to work untying Jake.

"Fine! But HE should stop being such an annoying know-it-all!"

Miguel stuck his tongue out at Jake, who did the same back.

"Kids! If you can't get along you'll be in time out!" Sonny stood between the two boys who stared each other down with dirty looks.

"Fine." Jake crossed his arms angrily.

"Yeah, fine." grumbled Miguel, crossing his arms as well.

"Now, go on and play!" Sonny turned hearing Rico chuckling behind him.

"Still a piece of cake, buddy?" Rico laughed.

"Hilarious, Rico. Man, I might be getting too old to deal with a miniature Gina and a miniature Martin…"


	3. Chapter 3

"Marty, have you seen my keys?" Gina sighed and she rifled through her purse.

Martin didn't look up as he rifled through his briefcase. "No, I haven't. Did you check your purse?" There was a bit of a condescending tone in his voice, as if he were speaking to one of the children.

"Of course I did, don't you think I'd check there first?" an exasperated Gina snapped back, not appreciating her husband's tone.

The Castillo home on this morning was a flurry of activity. Martin and Gina, who had been occupied by a particularly high-profile case lately, were grumpy with stress and rushing around. This case had been all over the news and Martin was under a great deal of pressure from his boss. And pressure at the office so often meant short tempers at home.

Meanwhile, six year old Alison sang and spun around the kitchen happily so that her fresh new school skirt would twirl. Everybody was too busy to notice eight year old Miguel, who sat at the table, his head resting on his left hand feeling exhausted. He stirred his spoon in his bowl of cereal, watching the colors of Fruit Loops dissolve into the milk. He was so tired that even the thought of bringing the spoon up to his mouth seemed that it would take too much energy. He hoped his father wouldn't notice he wasn't eating; he sure didn't want to hear a lecture on the benefits of proper nutrition or how breakfast was the most important meal of the day.

Martin, who had been hurriedly shoving files in his briefcase, paused a moment to study his son. "Miguel, you look tired. You aren't staying up late reading again, are you?"

Miguel sighed. "No, Dad. I'm fine," He mumbled.

Gina pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail and secured it. If she had noticed her son's mood, she ignored it. "Now Miguel, after school when you get off the bus, you and Ali need to head next door to Mrs. Harris, she'll be expecting you. We shouldn't be home too late assuming all goes well at work."

Miguel groaned, but couldn't find the energy to protest.

Ali stopped twirling and scowled. "Aw, no! I hate going there. Her house smells funny and she never lets us watch cartoons, just boring courtroom shows. And she gives us prunes for a snack," she whined, and Miguel made a face at the thought.

But Gina was firm and the tone of her voice indicated she would not tolerate any back-talk this morning. "Alison Elena, I expect your best manners, young lady. Mrs. Harris adores you kids and she's doing Daddy and I a big favor this week. You know this is a big case, and as soon as it's over we'll have regular hours and I'll try to be home after school again."

Martin kissed his daughter on the forehead. He smiled at her and ruffled her curly raven hair. Even in times like this, he had a soft spot for Alison. "We all have to do our part, Princess." Martin turned and eyed his son. "Miguel, you'd better hurry up or you'll miss the bus."

Miguel sighed inwardly. The prospect of sitting on the smelly bus, even for the short ride to school, made his stomach churn. He considered telling his father that he wasn't feeling good, but held back. With his parents work schedule, it would just result in him having to spend the entire day with grumpy old Mrs. Harris. Besides, his parents were already rushed, stressed, and in a bad mood. He didn't feel a need to add to that.

Reluctantly, Miguel trudged to the bus while Ali skipped ahead of him. On the bus he sat alone and leaned against the window, as his stomach began to feel queasy. He recalled the time he got carsick on the way to Aunt Rose's house. He silently willed himself a mantra, "I will not throw up on the bus, I will not throw up on the bus…"

Class went by uneventfully, as Miguel found that if he stayed perfectly still, and didn't think about his stomach, it wasn't too bad. At recess, he avoided running around by just sitting against a wall, reading a book. That was something he often did at recess, so nobody thought anything of it. But trouble rolled around when lunch began. It was meatloaf day in the cafeteria, and as he stood in line, the unmistakable scent of bland mystery meat and over-boiled carrots wafted up to his nose. Miguel could feel his stomach doing flip flops again and his forehead felt warm and sweaty. It was almost as if the room began to spin. Miguel looked down at the linoleum of the cafeteria, and just for a moment thought about how good it would feel to lay down on it and rest his head on that nice, cold floor. Across the room, he spotted Ali over at the first grade table, who stared at him with concern.

"Mig? You okay?" Eric asked from behind Miguel in line.

"Yeah, you don't look so good," his other friend Sophia added.

"I'm fine," Miguel insisted. He hoped if he said it enough, it would be true. He suddenly wished his mother had had time that morning to pack him a lunch. At least then he wouldn't have to stare at a tray full of that meatloaf covered in the slimy gravy that the school served, but free time was nonexistent in the Castillo home these days. He wondered if he could get away without having a lunch at all. No, surely the lady who supervised the cafeteria would notice, and she meant business.

Slowly the line moved forward, and Miguel nearly tripped. In his tired state, he barely noticed what he had tripped over, until he heard laughter beside him and realized it had been someone's foot. Jake Ballard and friends Todd and Brandon, were snickering away while Jake grinned ear to ear with satisfaction. Jake and Miguel used to be friends, but lately it seemed Jake was more interested in impressing his brainless friends. He was still friendly with Ali, but Miguel must have just been an easy target at times.

The line progressed forward, but the group in front of Miguel did not move. It was Britt Wheeler, who was too caught up gabbing with her friends, to notice the line moving ahead of her.

Miguel tapped her gently on the shoulder. "Um, Britt?"

She rolled her eyes, turned and glared at him. "Do you mind? We're having a private conversation here!" she snapped. But nonetheless, she moved up with the line and continued talking. "I'm so happy my Dad is back home! He's a really important person, you know" She tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"That's great, Britt!" Alicia Ballard remarked admiringly.

Britt enjoyed the attention. "Yes, and my daddy says we're going to move to a big house in a really expensive neighborhood so I won't have to go to school with-" she paused for a moment and stared at Miguel pointedly. "-with certain _undesirable_ individuals."

"Hey Britt, where was your dad all this time anyway?" Another of her friends asked. "Kinda weird we've never met him before."

Britt's mouth hung open, as if she didn't expect the question, and her face turned bright red. "Um, he's been away. On business," she stammered.

If Miguel had more energy, he might have rolled his own eyes. He knew exactly where Britt's father had been. He had recently overheard his parents talking about how Scottie Wheeler had been released from prison. It sounded like he had been there a long time, even before Britt was born. His parents used big words in those conversations, like "conspiracy" and "conjugal visits." Miguel didn't know what those things meant, but it couldn't be good.

"Did your dad get you that dress?" Alicia asked, clearly trying to change the subject to something more agreeable.

Britt nodded and tossed her hair once again. "It was _so_ expensive. And so were these shoes." She held out her foot and displayed a pair of glittery gold flats. The girls around her 'oohed and ahhed."

But Miguel barely took notice. He felt light headed, as if he couldn't stand up for another second. Then, all at once, he felt his stomach go into reverse. For a second he wondered if he should run, but there was no holding back. For a moment, it seemed everything went dark. Next thing he knew, the cafeteria was silent and he felt the weight of of two hundred pairs of eyes staring directly at him. The room filled with a smell even worse than the meatloaf.

"My shoes!" Britt screeched and burst into tears.

"What in heaven's name is going on here?" Mrs. Clark, the no-nonsense cafeteria monitor, appeared.

Britt pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Miguel Castillo threw up, Mrs. Clark! All over my new shoes! And he did it on purpose!"

"Yeah!" chimed in Jake. "I saw it! That was disgusting, Miguel!"

Miguel found himself too weak to defend himself but out of nowhere it seemed, Ali materialized at his side. "You'd better shut your mouth Britt Wheeler! Can't you see my brother is sick? He wouldn't throw up on your ugly shoes on purpose!"

"You shut up yourself, you tiny twerp!" Britt shot back.

Miguel groaned as he felt his stomach begin to turn again.

Mrs. Clark sighed and shook her head as though she dealt with this kind of thing every day. "Sophia, take Miguel to the office. Britt, go clean up in the bathroom." She turned to face Alison. "And as for you, young lady, you go back to the first grade table where you belong."

Ali crossed her arms defiantly, but reluctantly did as she was told.

Sophia gently lead her friend into the office, where the school nurse was seated behind a desk. "Mrs. Daniels, Miguel isn't feeling too good," she reported. Sometimes Sophia could be a bit motherly in an annoying way, but for once, Miguel was grateful for it.

"Oh you poor darlin'!" Mrs. Daniel's southern accent was warm and comforting as she put an arm around Miguel and led him to lay down. "You just rest right here while I go call your mama."

"My mom and dad are working today," Miguel protested. He felt tears fill his eyes but he managed to hold them back.

"Don't you worry, sweetheart. We'll figure something out." She patted Miguel on the shoulder.

Miguel sighed. "Something" probably meant Mrs. Harris would come pick him up in her giant boat of a 1960's Cadillac, which smelled like a wet dog. The thought made him nauseous all over again. Eventually, his eyes felt heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

"Miguelito? Are you awake, sweetie?"

Miguel slowly opened his eyes, and was surprised to see his mother, smiling warmly at him. "Mom?"

"Let's go home."

The rest of the afternoon passed by as Miguel slept in his room. He was vaguely aware of hearing his sister and later his father arriving home, and his mother coming in to check his temperature. When he opened his eyes next, it must have been morning because the light outside his window had changed from the pale purple of evening to the reddish orange of sunrise. He could hear his family moving around in the kitchen. By now, Ali would be eating breakfast, or singing whatever songs they were learning in the first grade. His father and mother would be preparing for the office. Miguel himself felt weak, but a bit better, and since nobody had come to wake him, it was clear that he would be staying home. He could hear the door slam, most likely Ali running out to catch the bus. Then, it closed again, followed by the familiar sound of the car starting in the driveway.

He wondered who would be staying with him today? Uncle Sonny was out of town. It would probably be old Mrs. Harris, which meant a long day of soap operas, _The People's Court_ , and prunes, probably. Miguel sighed and had just begun to feel sorry for himself when his bedroom door opened.

"Miguelito?" Gina's sweet voice was music to his ears. She carried a tray with crackers, soup and a fizzy drink. Miguel knew he must be sick if his mother was allowing him to drink soda.

"Mom? But what about your case? It's so important, and if you're not there… "

She smiled, sat on the edge of his bed and smoothed his hair. "Nothings more important to Dad and I than you and Ali. Daddy and Uncle Stan and Aunt Trudy can manage at the office for a day or two. Now, why don't you take a rest or read a book? I brought you some 7-up and soup. Maybe you'll feel well enough for school tomorrow."

Miguel sighed sadly as the memories of the day before flooded back into his mind: Jake tripping him, Britt's shoes… it was humiliating enough throwing up in front of the whole school, but he was sure Britt would make extra efforts make his life miserable. She already hated him and Ali. "I don't ever want to go back," he mumbled.

Gina was concerned. "Why not? You love school!"

Miguel took a deep breath. "But you don't understand, I threw up _on_ Britt Wheeler. She'll never let me forget it. And I don't even want to think about what Jake will say."

"Nobody can fault you for being sick, it wasn't your fault."

Miguel knew his mother's response was reasonable, but Britt and Jake weren't always reasonable. "It doesn't matter, Britt will still make herself out to be a huge victim, and Jake will trip me, or tease me, or give me some bad nickname… Maybe I could go to private school?"

"Sorry kiddo, but maybe you'll find that everyone has forgotten about it by the time you get back to school?"

He shrugged and looked down at his hands. "Yeah, I guess."

Gina kissed him on the forehead. "Now you relax, and you'll feel better in no time."

The day passed quietly. Miguel was a studious child who loved school, but even he had to admit it was calming and comforting to lay on the couch and watch the cartoons he had enjoyed when he was younger. By afternoon, even Miguel had to admit that he felt much better, but the idea of returning to school to face the taunts of his classmates, especially Britt Wheeler, was too much.

A little after three o'clock, Miguel heard a car pull in the doorway, followed by a door slamming shut. Most likely Uncle Rico had picked up Ali at school and was bringing her home.

"I'm home!" She exclaimed coming in the front door. She paused in the entryway when she saw her brother laying on the couch.

Miguel did his best to look pathetic.

"Aw, how are ya feeling, Miggy Pig?"

He frowned at the nickname. "Don't call me that. And I'm still sick."

Ali approached carefully. "When do you think you'll go back to school? Eric and Sophia were asking about you . They miss you."

"I don't know. Maybe never." He grumped.

"Aw c'mon. You love school!" Ali was puzzled, and looked thoughtful for a moment. "You afraid of something?"

"Well, wouldn't you be? Jake and Britt are bad enough on a normal day, but I threw up all over her! They're never, ever gonna let me forget this." Of course Ali wouldn't be scared. She was tiny, but tough and outgoing. She'd have no problem going after anyone who dared tease her. Meanwhile, Miguel was bookish and quiet, which seemed to make him an easy target. He sighed deeply and looked over at his sister, whose face spread into a grin. "What, you're gonna laugh at me too?"

"No! But I don't think Britt Wheeler will say a word to you after what happened today."

Now it was Miguel's turn to be puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

Ali sat beside him on the couch. "Well, I guess whatever you had is going around school. A bunch of other kids were absent today. And now, Britt Wheeler is probably wishing she had stayed home too."

"Ali, you're not making any sense."

"Well, it was macaroni and cheese day in the cafeteria."

Miguel made a face thinking of the gluey "cheese" sauce the school poured over the macaroni. His stomach started to turn a bit.

Ali continued. "As soon as Britt sat down, _she_ threw up! All over Jake Ballard's tray. Everyone was talking about it at recess! Trust me Mig, what happened to you is old news."

The corner of Miguel's mouth turned up in a small smile. "Really?"

"Really. Plus, you think I'm gonna let anyone put you down? Not a chance. I've always got your back, big brother. And you've always got mine, right, Mig?"

They exchanged a fist bump. "Always."


	4. Chapter 4

Ten year old Alison Castillo distractedly pushed the stewed prunes around her plate with her fork. Looking across the dining table, she watched her brother chew his pencil. Across the room, she could vaguely hear Judge Judy issue yet another verdict.

"Marco! Are you reading dirty magazines over there?" Mrs. Harris called from her armchair, adjusting her glasses and staring at twelve year old Miguel with suspicion.

Miguel rolled his eyes, his face burning bright red. Ali covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh.

"No Mrs. Harris, I'm just working on my algebra homework," Miguel replied with all the politeness he could muster.

"See that you do, Marco. I won't have any of that filth in my house!" Mrs. Harris flipped the channel on her ancient remote control and Ali could hear a couple on the television loudly arguing about who had cheated on whom.

Ali glanced at her watch. _'Must be time for Divorce Court,'_ she thought to herself. With any luck, their parents' car would pull up any minute and rescue them. Mrs. Harris, the Castillo family's elderly next door neighbor, had lived in this dusty old house practically forever. Ali and Miguel's father, who had bought their own home years ago, long before he married their mother, often recalled how kind and warm she had been when he first moved in since he had no family of his own. And their mother often told them how helpful she had been when Miguel and Ali were newborns. Nowadays, Mrs. Harris was quite a bit older and grouchier. Nonetheless, any day that one of their parents weren't home after school, they trudged from the school bus to the old house where they were served prunes or saltine crackers and did homework. Occasionally Miguel would get out of it if he had a violin lesson, but Ali was always stuck.

Suddenly, one of Mrs. Harris' many cats, jumped up on the table and plopped himself down on Miguel's math book. "Aw, Lucky, c'mon… get off…" he tried in vain to encourage the shaggy brown tabby to move.

"He wouldn't be so bored, Marco, if _your_ cat wouldn't torment him every time he went outside," Mrs Harris grumbled. "That cat is always digging in my petunias. Why just yesterday…"

Ali's patience was wearing thin. She could certainly listen to her parent's orders to behave at their neighbor's home, after all, she was helping the family out. But Miguel knew his sister drew the line at their beloved ginger tabby cat, Marmalade. Years ago, their Uncle Sonny had found him at a crime scene and had given the little kitten as a gift to their mother. But now Marmalade was getting old, and now spent most of his days sleeping on the sofa. Both kids were very protective of him, Miguel could see his sister preparing to say some angry, defensive words. Quickly, he intervened.

"Actually, Mrs. Harris, you must be thinking of some other cat. Dad says Marmalade is too old to go outside anymore."

Ali nodded. "Yeah, the vet says he's going blind. And he has ath…. arth…"

" _Arthritis,_ " Miguel supplied. Just then, a reflection in the front window caught his eye. The headlights of their parents' car was turning in the driveway. "Thank goodness," he whispered under his breath and hurriedly backed up his backpack. "Gotta run, Mrs. Harris! Our parents are back!"

"Yeah, good riddance," Ali grumbled, before her brother nudged her with his elbow.

An hour later, the Castillo family gathered around the kitchen table. Miguel, who had finished his math homework, had his nose in _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_.

"Miguel, no books at the table," their father warned. Martin Castillo was a loving father, but was very definite with certain rules.

"We actually have a surprise for you both," Gina revealed grinning.

Ali and Miguel exchanged a nervous glance. The last time their parents had a "big surprise," their Aunt Rose stayed with them for a month in Miguel's room, leaving him to sleep on the floor of Ali's room. Plus Aunt Rose snored like a freight train all night.

"As you know, Mrs. Harris is getting older, and keeping up with two kids is harder for her these days. And besides, you two are getting older as well. So we've decided that you are old enough to stay home alone together after school on nights that Dad and I will be home before 6."

"Yes!" Miguel exclaimed practically jumping out of his chair, exhibiting far more exuberance than typical.

"You mean it?" Ali's face broke out in a smile and her brown eyes sparkled with delight.

Martin gave a half smile, somewhat obscured by his mustache. "Mean it."

Ali jumped up from her seat and threw her arms around her father. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Gina smiled at her daughter, then turned serious. "On a trial basis, provided you two manage to get along, do some extra chores, and under no circumstances should you open the door for strangers.. Miguel is the oldest, and has proven himself responsible lately, so he will be in charge."

Miguel beamed with pride, and Ali rolled her eyes.

Gina must have noticed (nothing got past her). "Alison Elena, you understand?" She warned.

"Yes, Mom." Ali replied. As annoying as it was sure to be to have boring, bossy, know-it-all Miguel in charge, anything beat another day of prunes and Judge Judy with Mrs. Harris in her smelly old house.

The next afternoon, Ali hopped off the bus, skipped past Mrs. Harris' house, and gleefully unlocked the front door with the shiny new key that her parents had entrusted her with. She threw her backpack and sweatshirt down on the entryway floor and began rifling through the hall closet.

"Ali?" Miguel called from the dining room, looking up from his textbook. "What are you doing? Pick up your stuff!"

"I'm looking for these!" Ali emerged triumphantly holding up her inline skates. "I'm going skating in the park with Roni."

"Oh no you're not, Mom and Dad left us a list of stuff we need to do." He picked up a list off the table and waved it around. "We have to finish homework, then do the dishes, take out the trash, start dinner…And they never said it was okay for you to go out skating."

"Who cares, Miguel? What's the point of having all this freedom if we don't enjoy it? I'll be back in an hour, way before they get home."

Miguel was not backing down. "You heard Mom and Dad! I'm in charge!"

"Why do you always have to be such a bore?" Ali fired back.

"Shut up, Ali! I am not! You know Mom and Dad have a lot of enemies, who knows who could be out there? I'm not letting anything happen on my watch!"

"On your _'watch'_? Oh geez Miguel, Mom and dad put you in charge for two hours after school, they didn't recruit you to join the force."

Miguel crossed his arms and took a step toward Ali. "If something goes wrong all the blame is gonna be on me, just like always!" He focused on her with an icy stare.

Ali took two steps toward her brother and looked up to face him in the eye. "Don't you dare look at me like that! You aren't Dad! Why do you have to be so perfect all the time? You are so annoying, Miguel!" She pushed him aside and headed up the stairs, her feet stomping angrily up the metal spiral staircase.

"Get back here, Alison Elena!" He yelled, stomping up the stairs after her, all the way in her room where she paused in the doorway and spun around to face him.

"Get out of my face, Miguel! You know, other people have siblings they can actually have fun with! Not some boring know-it-all who thinks he's better than everyone! I hate you Miguel, I wish I didn't even have a brother!" She slammed her door in his face, but had just enough time to see his look of shock and sadness. Instantly, she regretted her harsh words.

Ali threw herself on her bed and sighed. Her brother was always so stoic and serious, it was easy to forget that he had feelings. But right now it was obvious that he did because she had hurt them. But still, just because he was two years older, it didn't give him the right to be so darn bossy! Part of her wanted to apologize, but the other part was determined not to let Miguel "win" this time. She figured she'd let him stew a bit more. No need to give him the upper hand so soon. Besides, she knew he'd never tell their parents about the fight, or it would be back to Mrs. Harris for both of them.

Ali was just beginning to relax with a Nancy Drew mystery book when she heard Miguel's voice from downstairs.

"Ali! Come quick!"

There was something strange in Miguel's voice that sounded distinctly of fear. He always tried so hard to be unemotional, so Ali knew something was terribly wrong. She flew down the stairs and found her brother standing in front of the couch. She approached slowly and stood at his side. Wide-eyed he stared down at the couch cushion at Marmalade, who appeared to be asleep.

"I put some food in his bowl, but when he didn't come to eat, I came over here to get him. But- but he's so cold and won't move," Miguel choked on his words.

Ali grasped his left hand in both of hers, tears filling her eyes. Her voice shook. "Is he… dead?"

Miguel nodded. "I think so. Ali, what are we going to do?"

In the midst of her sadness, Ali found herself also surprised and a bit uneasy. Miguel had always played the role of older sibling quite well. He always seemed to know exactly what to do, and knew all the right things to say. His uncertainty was unusual. Ali thought for a moment. "Well, when Daddy gets home, he can bury Marmalade in the yard?"

"I don't know Ali. We really shouldn't stress Mom and Dad out, not on our very first day home alone! And Marmalade was Mom's cat even before she married Dad. We can't let her come home to find a dead cat in the living room!"

Ali nodded, her brother was right. Finally she shrugged, and gave what she believed the be the obvious answer. "Okay, well, let's just bury him ourselves. And maybe we can give him a little funeral."

Miguel wasn't so sure, but he couldn't think of a better idea. He sighed and nodded silently. He gathered Marmalade in his arms and carried him to the backyard with Ali following close. They found a quiet spot in a corner, close to where their father had helped them bury various pet guinea pigs and tropical fish in the past. Miguel retrieved a large shovel from the garage and began to dig, while Ali found some twine and two large sticks to fashion a cross grave marker.

After Marmalade had been gently set in his grave and covered back up, the two siblings stood in silence for a moment. Finally, Ali spoke up. "Maybe we should say some nice things about Marmalade? Like they do in funerals on TV?"

Miguel nodded. "Marmalade, I always liked how you slept on my feet at night. And I'm sorry I never was able to train you to jump through a hoop."

"And I liked the way you ate kitty treats from my hand, and purred when we scratched behind your ears…" Ali's eyes welled with tears and she leaned into Miguel's arms and sobbed.

He gently rubbed her back. "It's okay, Ali."

She sighed tearfully. "I'm sorry, Miguel. For what happened earlier. I just hate being the youngest, always having to do what everyone else tells me."

Miguel looked away wiping a tear from his own eye. "Yeah, I get that. But sometimes it really stinks, for me too. I'm always under pressure to get straight A's, be responsible all the time. Sometimes I hate being boring old reliable Miguel. I wish I were more fun, like you."

Ali had never thought of it from his point of view. It couldn't be easy for him. Even though she had to deal with every teacher she ever had asking why she couldn't be quieter like Miguel, and her parents asking why shoe couldn't be more responsible like Miguel, if she really thought about it, her parents were a bit harder on Miguel, and always expected him to 'know better' since he was the oldest. She looked up at him. "I didn't mean what I said before, about you being a bore. I wouldn't change a thing about you. Lots of my friends' older brothers won't play games with them, or ride bikes with them. And whenever there's a big storm, or Dad's working late, you're always there to comfort me. And I don't know what I would have done without you today, with Marmalade and all. I like having a big brother like you."

The corners of Miguel's mouth slowly turned up a bit. "Really? Thanks, Ali."

The moment was interrupted by the sound of the back gate opening. "Kids? There you are! Sorry we're late, I wanted to stop by the store and get some baby food for Marmalade. He really hasn't been eating his cat food lately." Gina remarked, as she and Martin approached and hugged their children.

At the mention of the family cat, Ali and Miguel exchanged a sad look.

It was at that moment that Martin noticed the freshly disturbed soil in the corner of the yard, and the large shovel leaned up against the fence. "What on Earth…." he mumbled, as he walked over to investigate.

Miguel stepped forward. "Mom, Dad, something sort of happened while you were gone today."

Ali nervously dug her nails into the palm of her hand and leaned against Miguel's arm.

He continued. "It's Marmalade. He… he passed away this afternoon."

Gina gasped and put her hands over her mouth. "Oh, poor Marmalade! And you poor things… having to find him like that…"

Ali put an arm around her mother. "It's okay Mom. We gave him a nice funeral. And Miguel buried him. I miss him though."

Martin kissed his daughter on the top of her head. "We all will, princess. But I'm proud of how you both handled a difficult situation. It shows a lot of maturity."

Miguel and Ali smiled at each other, in almost a mutual agreement that their parents would never have to know _everything_ that happened that afternoon. After all, they made a pretty good team when they wanted to.


	5. Chapter 5

Ali glanced up at the clock on the mantle. Nine PM. She sighed and wondered if it was too late to call her parents at work to ask if she could sleep at Roni's house that night. Rico would probably be there, but at least they could hang out in Roni's room and listen to music, try on makeup, and gossip. But it probably was too late, so she was stuck at home watching stupid TV shows. Across the room, Miguel was practicing for orchestra with Eric, Sophia and Christina; the same friends he had hung around since Kindergarten.

"You call that and F-sharp?" Christina laughed poking Miguel gently with her viola bow.

"Well it's better than the time I played Canon in 3/4 time!"

Christina giggled hysterically. "Oh Miguel, that was so funny!"

Ali just rolled her eyes and gagged. _Why don't they just make-out already?_ She wondered. No, that would never happen. Miguel wouldn't recognize a girl flirting with him if his life depended on it. Ali loved him, but he could be so lame. He was in his second year of high school! In just a few months he'd even be old enough to drive! He was finally at an age where he could be out having some freedom, partying and socializing. Instead he seemed to spend all his time studying, studying, and more studying. That is, when he wasn't playing his violin. He was forever researching which Ivy league schools he was going to apply to, contemplating ways to increase his SAT score, and freaking out if he got anything less than an A+. Boring, boring, boring. Of course Ali was a good student too, but she promised herself that when she got to be Miguel's age, she was going to take time to have fun and enjoy life! What was the point of being so damn serious all the time?

She continued to flip through the stations mindlessly, and then she got an idea. She turned to face her brother and his friends. "Hey you guys! It's Friday night! We should all go out and do something!"

The four of them exchanged a puzzled look. "Like what?" Eric asked as he tuned a string on his cello.

Ali shrugged innocently. "Oh, I don't know… we could… go to a club in South Beach?"

Their music playing stopped with a sudden screech and Ali found herself with 4 sets of stunned eyes staring at her as though she had just suggested that the moon was indeed made of green cheese.

Christina spoke up first. "Ali, you know you aren't allowed to go to those places until you're 21." She spoke slowly and condescendingly, as though she were speaking to a very small child. Christina was sweet, but always had been a bit of the bossy, motherly type. When they were little, she always insisted on being the mother when they played house while Ali always had to be the baby. At least that was better than Miguel, who always got stuck being the dog.

"Oh come on!" Ali protested. "We live in one of the hottest, most glamorous cities in the country and you guys don't even enjoy it!"

Eric raised an eyebrow. "You're only 13. Weren't you still playing with Barbie dolls just a couple of years ago?"

Sophia stifled a laugh and Ali felt her face burn hot.

Miguel, on the other hand, saw no humor any of this. "You know the rules, Ali. Miami Beach at night is no place for any kid your age, but _especially_ us. Who knows who could be out there? You know Mom and Dad don't exactly make a lot of friends in their line of work."

Sophia, the gossip of the group, finally spoke up. "Speaking of clubs, I heard from Lauren who heard from Serena who heard from Scott that Abby went to this place called the Wall Lounge last week and she got a fake ID from her older brother."

Eric shook his head. "A fake ID? No way. Everyone knows Abby is a huge liar."

" _And_ ," Sophia went on, "I heard that Alicia Ballard goes to clubs all the time with her new boyfriend. And guess what? He doesn't _need_ a fake ID because he's 21!"

Christina gasped loudly. "Seriously? Wha kind of 21 year old dates a high schooler?"

Sophia shrugged. "I don't know. His name is Ryan something-or-other."

"Hey Miguel, didn't you used to be friends with Alicia's brother when we were kids?" Eric asked.

Miguel frowned. "Ali and Alicia were friends, but Jake and I? Are you kidding? He pushed me down face-first into the sandbox when I was four! He's the whole reason my dad taught me martial arts."

Ali chimed in. "And I am not friends with Alicia anymore. Her and that bitch Britt Wheeler can go to…"

"Alison! Where did you learn that language?" Christina was genuinely surprised.

Ali rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night. "For your information, Christina, I'm in 8th grade, not Kindergarten."

"Alison Elena," Miguel warned through clenched teeth. "Don't you have something else you could be doing?"

Ali thought for a moment, then grinned inwardly. "Actually, _Miguel Christopher_ , I do." She jumped off the couch and flounced toward the stairs. "See you party animals later!"

Upstairs, Ali made a beeline for her mother's closet. She flipped through a variety of clothes, from springy sundresses to conservative suits, until she found what she was looking for: a slinky black dress with elegant but subtle beading on the bodice and an open back, and a pair of red stilettos to match. Back in her own room, she slipped on the dress, pulled her hair back into a sleek ponytail and dug some makeup that she had hidden in the bottom drawer of her dresser. After a good coat of mascara, some smoky eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick, Ali stood back and admired herself in the mirror. She wasn't entirely confident that she could pass for 21, even after sweet-talking a bouncer. Luckily, she knew exactly who to call.

One hour later…

"Ali, are you sure this is such a good idea? I mean, if my dad finds out I snuck out of my room, he will hit the roof! Plus I will be grounded until I'm 40 if he sees me wearing this dress and this much makeup." Roni Tubbs self-consciously tugged down on the hem of the leopard print dress she had found in Trudy's closet. "Besides, how are _we_ going to get in a club?"

"Stop worrying, Uncle Rico thinks you're sleeping, right? And your mom is working late with my parents, and Miguel is busy with his nerd-squad. We'll just dance for a couple of hours, then head home. We'll be back before anyone realizes we're gone. And as far as how we will get in…" Ali dug through her sparkly black clutch and produced two cards which she passed to her friend.

Roni stared at them a minute, then nodded and smiled in approval. "Angelina Cooper and Sabrina Burnett… I like that! Thanks, Ali!"

"You can thank Izzy later! But keep it quiet, if my father finds out Izzy gave me a fake ID, Miami PD will be short one informant."

"No kidding!" Roni agreed.

The girls got in line at The Wall Lounge and boldly showed their ID's to the bouncer, as though they did this sort of thing every day. If he had questioned the authenticity of their ID's, he didn't show it, and waved them inside. In the club, Ali was immediately overwhelmed by the crowd, the loud music pulsating in her head and the bright, flashing lights. She drew in her breath.

Roni stood frozen and wide-eyed. "Wow, Ali! I can't believe it! We're really in!"

Ali was grinning ear to ear, toking in all the sights and sounds. She grabbed Roni by the hand and pulled her to the dance floor. "Let's have some fun!"

She and Roni got completely lost in the music. Finally, she felt like she was leaving little kid Ali behind in exchange for something much more sophisticated.

Time seemed meaningless until Roni glanced at her phone and gasped.

"Ali! It's after midnight! We need to go!" She yelled to be heard over the loud music

Ali sighed sadly. "Already? It feels like we just got here!"

"It's been over two hours! And your parents and my mom will be home soon! Look, I'm going to run to the restroom. Wait here for me, okay?"

Ali nodded and took a seat at the bar, watching the crowd dance.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't be here all alone." A smooth voice said, startling her.

Ali turned slightly and found herself face to face with a handsome stranger. He had piercing brown eyes and wore an expensive suit. But something about him made her feel suddenly uneasy. "I- I'm not. I'm here with a friend."

The man smiled at Ali, and snapped his fingers, summoning the bartender. "I'll have a beer. And whatever the lady here would like." He nodded toward Ali.

This was unexpected. Ali had little experience with alcohol, except for a small sip of her mother's champagne last New Years Eve. She thought fast. "I'll have a mojito. Please."

When the icy drink was placed in front of her, Ali took a tentative sip. It tasted cool and crisp, and until that moment, she hadn't realized how thirsty she was after all that dancing.

The stranger's eyes never left Ali. Finally he spoke. "How long are you staying here in Miami?"

"Oh, I live here," Ali replied.

The stranger grinned. "That so? I've never seen you here before. I…" He paused when his elbow brushed against Ali's purse, knocking it off the bar. "Oh, so sorry."

"Don't worry, I'll get it." Ali leaned down to retrieve her purse. Something about this guy gave her the creeps and she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Where was Roni? Ali repositioned herself and was about to take another sip when a fist flew by her in a blur, making contact with the stranger's nose. Ali screamed and scrambled off the barstool. Roni materialized at her side, pulling her away.

Ali gaped at the scene before her. The stranger, now covered in blood, was pinned against the bar by another man who yelled at him. "Is that what you do? Hit on unsuspecting women and drug their drinks? People like you make me sick."

"I- I didn't do it! I swear!"

"Yeah right. Tell it to the cops, asshole." He thew the stranger to the ground and turned back to Ali and Roni.

For the first time, Ali was able to get a good look at him. He too was incredibly handsome, but with more rugged features and gorgeous blue eyes. But something about him was eerily familiar. He gave her a boyish smile. "You okay, darlin?"

Ali breathed a sigh of relief. "I am now. Is that really what he tried to do? Drug me?"

"Yeah, seems like it's the thing to do nowadays. You really gotta be on your guard."

Roni, looking terrified, pulled at Ali's arm. "C'mon, we really should go."

The guy spoke up. "Let me walk you guys, make sure you get in a cab and home okay."

Ali nodded slowly. Roni flashed her a questioning look, but Ali stared back as if to say, "I think we can trust him." But even her own head was questioning that.

Soon they were outside the club, and the cool night air felt refreshing.

"Name's Ryan Rivera, by the way."

"I'm Alison. Alison Castillo. And this is my friend Veronica Tubbs."

Ryan raised an eyebrow as though he had heard her name before and was trying to place it. "Castillo and Tubbs… " he mumbled under his breath, then snapped his fingers. "That's right! You two must know my Uncle Sonny Crockett! Well, he's not really my uncle. But he was real close with my dad. I've seen your pictures on his boat."

"Yeah! He's our godfather!" Alison immediately felt relieved. Ryan was safe, and not some other creep. She realized how she recognized him. "And I've seen your picture too. Your dad was Eddie Rivera. My mom talks about him sometimes."

"Yeah, mine too. She said he was a great cop," Roni added.

"Thanks. Wish I had a chance to know him." Ryan glanced sadly towards the ocean for a moment, then turned back to the girls. "Look, this is no place for good kids like you. My car's over there, Let me give you a ride home."

Ali opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by frantic shouting coming from down the street. The three turned to see what was going on, only to see a figure marching toward them.

Ryan pulled Ali and Roni closer. "You'd better stay close, looks like some maniac."

Ali sighed. "No. That maniac is just my idiot brother."

"Alison, just what the hell is going on? You and I are going home NOW. And furthermore…" he stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of Veronica. His mouth dropped open "R- Roni? Is that you?"

"Her eyes are up here, dumbass." Ali quipped, as Miguel averted his eyes back to his sister.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble we'll be in if Mom and Dad find out about this? Plus I've been to every filthy club in town looking for you and been thrown out on my ass at every single one! I've been slapped, had drinks thrown at me…"

Ali placed her hand over her mouth to hide a giggle.

"It's not funny, Alison!"

Ryan held up his hands to try and calm Miguel down. "Hey, everything's cool. I was just going to give them a ride home to make sure they were safe. You should come along,"

Miguel took a threatening step toward Ryan. "And who the hell are you?"

"Whoa, take it easy, buddy. I'm here to help."

"Yeah, Miguel, this is Ryan Rivera. He knows Uncle Sonny!"

"I don't care if he knows the president of the United States! If you try anything with my sister…"

"He didn't Miguel!"

Veronica stepped in. "Yeah! He _saved_ her! When some creep tried to drug Ali's drink…"

" _Roni_ …" Ali elbowed her friend.

Miguel turned bright red with anger. "Alison Elena! You were drinking? And that is exactly why you shouldn't be here! You're just a kid! Maybe Mom and Dad have sheltered you from their jobs, but it's dangerous out there! You could get hurt or killed or…"

Ali Ignored her brother's ranting and walked past him. C'mon, Roni. Ryan, we'd love a ride home if the offer is still good." She walked confidently beside Ryan to his black Trans-Am. "You coming, Miguel?"

Miguel scowled, but followed silently. In the back seat beside Roni, he crossed his arms and pouted. He reminded Ali of a toddler who didn't get a cookie he wanted. Why did he have to control her every move? Why did _everyone_ feel they had to control her every move?

After Roni had been safely dropped off at her home (and safely snuck up the tree outside her bedroom window), Ryan pulled into the Castillos' driveway. To the relief of both Ali and Miguel, their parents were not home yet.

"Talk to ya later, Ali,"

"Thanks Ryan, I hope so."

Miguel mumbled something incoherent under his breath as he climbed out of the back seat and slammed the car door.

Once inside their house, the tension between the siblings was palpable.

"Just what the hell is your problem, Miguel?"

"What is _my_ problem? Are you serious right now, Alison? You sneak out of the house, make me worried sick, run off to some club where you proceed to drink and practically get attacked by some pervert!"

"Ryan is _not_ a pervert."

"I wasn't talking about Ryan, I meant whoever drugged your drink, but now that you mention it…"

"I'm not some helpless little girl, Miguel. I can take care of myself!"

"You have no idea what it's like out there, Ali! Mom and Dad have a lot, and I mean _a lot_ of enemies. You think Dad has had an easy life? You ever wonder why he never talks about his past? I'm just guessing that it wasn't full of rainbows and unicorns."

"I'm not Dad, and It's not like I was out looking for trouble! Roni and I danced for a while and _that's it_. I just want to have fun, Miguel. We're only going to be teenagers once in our lives, and I'm going to enjoy it!" She turned and ran up the stairs.

"You call that fun? Alison? Alison, get back here!"

Miguel could hear her bedroom door slam. He sighed, and flopped down on the couch. This was too much damn responsibility. Somewhere, he longed for the safety of those days where Mrs. Harris babysat them and keeping an eye on Ali was someone else's job. Teenage Ali was a force to be reckoned with, and he wasn't sure if he- or anyone- could handle that challenge.


	6. Chapter 6

Seventeen year old Miguel Castillo was so involved in his violin practice that he scarcely heard the knock at the door. He glanced at his watch. 7:05. He knew Ali was watching a movie at Roni's house, and his parents were working late. Puzzled, he opened the door to find Ryan Rivera on the other side.

 _Damnit_ , he thought, _why is this guy always lurking around?_ "What are you doing here? Ali's not home tonight, and lucky for you neither is my dad," Miguel snapped.

"I know, I'm actually here to see you."

"Me?"

"Yeah!" Ryan pushed open the door and stepped inside, forcing Miguel to move aside. "You and I are going out on the town tonight."

Miguel's jaw dropped open. "Out… on the town?" he repeated slowly, as though the words were new to him.

"C'mon, a good looking guy like you shouldn't be home alone on a Friday night. What d'ya say?"

 _What this hell is going on?_ Miguel wondered. He and Ryan had never been friends. Miguel saw him as a dangerous older guy who was going to lead his sister into a life of trouble. Any time he was around, Miguel not-so-subtly whispered insults under his breath and often had to restrain himself from punching the guy out. Maybe Ali had put Ryan up to this. "I don't know Ryan. My parents…" Immediately after the words left his mouth, Miguel felt self-conscious; Ryan was a grown man, he didn't worry about curfews or rules.

"Just tell them you're going to a friend's house, whatever! Trust me, from what I have heard from Ali, they will believe anything you say. Come on kid, live it up a little!"

Miguel frowned, but his curiosity about Ryan Rivera was getting the better of him, and he thought maybe he might be able to learn something that would convince Ali to stay away from him. He took a deep breath and put his violin back in its case. "Okay Ryan, I'm in."

"Great! Oh wait…" Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out a card and handed it to Miguel who examined it critically.

"Alright, well, a couple of things… I'm not from Ohio, I'm not 24 and this isn't me."

Ryan rolled his eyes. "You're kidding, right? Haven't you ever heard of a fake ID? Man, do you have a lot to learn! Now go on and put some decent clothes on. Can't take you to a bar wearing that!" He slapped Miguel on the back, pushing him towards the stairs.

Miguel looked over his clothing. He was still wearing his school uniform: khaki shorts and a polo shirt. He supposed he couldn't pass for 24 wearing that. His one suit was used for school music concerts, a dance he attended with Roni and his cousin's wedding. A few moments later, he reemerged with his hair combed wearing a blue button up shirt and charcoal slacks with a belt.

"Much better, kid!" Ryan, who had been perched on the arm of the sofa, hopped off and handed Miguel his coat, ushering him out the door.

Miguel was never good at small talk, and he suddenly felt intimidated by Ryan once they were in the car driving down the highway. He had no idea what to say to this guy, all the things that were important to him like school and baseball would probably seem juvenile and worthless to a grown man like Ryan.

As if he could read Miguel's thoughts, Ryan spoke up. "So, Ali tells me you're some music prodigy and a math whiz."

"Oh, I'm in our school orchestra, I play first violin. And I'm class treasurer."

"That's cool. Chicks like that stuff, you know."

"Actually I don't know about that, not too many girls at my school at least. Roni's the first girl I've gone out with."

Ryan glanced over at him, raised an eyebrow and then looked back at the road. "I guess it shouldn't be too surprising. Ali mentioned that you're…"

Miguel cut him off. "That I'm what? A nerd? Boring? That's usually how Ali describes me."

"I _was_ going to say 'ambitious'. You need to get yourself some confidence, kid. Ali says you want to be a lawyer? That's cool. Chicks love lawyers."

Miguel scowled. This guy sure knew a lot about what "chicks" like; it made him want to keep Ryan even farther away from Ali.

Ryan parked his car and Miguel looked around. The street was lined with neon signs, and shady figures walking on the sidewalk. His parents had warned him about this neighborhood. He could feel his stomach getting upset like it always did when he was nervous. He could only pray that none of his parents' coworkers were patrolling here tonight. "Um, Ryan, I don't know about this…"

"C'mon, buddy. I know you're not a boring nerd. There's a fun guy in there somewhere just aching to get out!"

Miguel took a deep breath and got out of the car. At the very least, he thought, he could find out whatever Ali saw in this guy and his lifestyle. He followed Ryan into a bar which was dimly lit and loud. Almost immediately, Ryan handed him a glass and Miguel sniffed it suspiciously. He made a face.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Well, typically you drink it." Ryan leaned over to whisper to Miguel. "The key to not getting kicked out is not to _act_ like you're a seventeen year old who's never had a drink before."

Miguel sighed and did as he was told. The alcohol burned his throat and it was hard not to grimace. What in the world did people like about this stuff?

"There ya go!" Ryan slapped him on the back. "So, how are you and Roni doing?"

Miguel smiled at the mention of Roni's name. "Things are fantastic. She's smart, funny, easy to talk to…she seems to like who I am."

Ryan smiled. "She's a nice girl, Miguel. I'd tell you to be good to her, but I already know you will."

"Ali was pretty mad that day when she caught us kissing, huh?"

Ryan laughed a little. "Yeah, but probably not for why you think. It just seemed a little hypocritical that you were so angry at us for just hanging out, but didn't see anything wrong with what you were doing."

"No, I knew what we were doing was wrong, heck, my dad and Rico would have come unglued. But it happened so fast. I never planned for it to happen." Miguel took another sip of his drink and looked away. He knew he needed to say something, but it took a lot for him to swallow his pride. "I'm really sorry, Ryan. The stuff I said to you and attacking you like that in the hospital, it's not like me."

"It's okay, man. I'm sorry too, for the stuff I said. If I had been in your shoes that day I probably would have jumped to conclusions too. Ali's just such a great girl, it killed me to see what Alicia was doing to her, she really needed a shoulder to cry on."

Miguel nodded, then got the courage to ask what he really wanted to. "What about you and Ali? What… what are your plans with her?"

"Miguel, I promise you, we are just friends."

"For now," Miguel added, scowling

Ryan nodded. "Look, I'll level with you, man to man. Ali is a great girl, but I know as well as anyone that she's too young for me right now."

Miguel sighed and looked into Ryan's eyes. "She's been through so much. I won't ever let her get hurt like that again. If you push her into anything when she's too young…"

Ryan put his hand on Miguel's shoulder. "I give you my word, I would never do anything to hurt her."

Miguel sighed. Part of him desperately wanted to hate Ryan, but it was getting harder and harder.

"So you've honestly never done anything like this with your friends from school?" Ryan was eager to steer the conversation away from what was clearly still a heated issue.

"Nah, I'm not what you would call popular. I mean, I'm president of the honor society, so I guess people like me, but I'm not really comfortable letting people really get to know me. Most of my friends are from orchestra, and I hang out with Roni a lot, but I'm usually busy with school so I'm not the kind of guy who goes out and parties on the weekend…"

"Hey, I think it's awesome that you are so serious about school. Heck, I'd sure be in a better place if I had worked a little harder. But with my mom working two jobs just to barely support us, college never seemed like an option anyway. You know Miguel, you really should loosen up though. Have some fun every once in a while! You don't have to be so perfect all the time, it's not good for you to isolate yourself from everyone."

Miguel nodded. His mother and Uncle Sonny had told him the same thing many times, but social situations and opening up to people were such a challenge. He was eager to deflect the conversation away from himself and curiosity about Ryan got the better of him. "So what do you think you would have done? You know, if you could have any job in the world?"

"Well, when I was a kid I always wanted to be a cop, like my dad. Don't get me wrong, I like working on cars, but I always admired my Dad for what he did, even though I never knew him."

"My mom remembers working with your dad, she said he was a great cop." Miguel finished off the last of his drink. "It's never to late to give it a try at the academy."

Ryan shrugged. "I dunno, Miguel. I was never good at that classroom stuff."

"You never know unless you try. Besides, it might help change my dad's opinion of you, which would help in the future with Ali."

Somehow Ryan didn't seem like such a bad guy anymore, and he was genuinely enjoying their conversation. Ryan nodded thoughtfully and handed him another drink. The taste was not as bad this time, and he started to feel warm and slightly relaxed. He also started to feel a little dizzy and off-balance. The sensation was reminiscent of how he had felt when Calderone drugged him before taking him hostage, but he tried not to think about that. Maybe he really could loosen up a little.

Ali had enjoyed having a girl's night with Roni, but at the end of the night, she was happy to get home. She really was thrilled that her best friend and Miguel were so happy together, but it had been exhausting listening to Roni go on and on in a dreamy voice about how romantic and sexy her brother was. Gross. Ali wondered if Roni would find Miguel so sexy if she had to see his socks and underwear littering the bathroom floor everyday.

She said a quick hello to her parents who were lounging on the couch after a late day at work, and ran upstairs to change into some comfy pajamas.

Almost immediately, she heard her phone beep alerting her to an incoming text. She rolled her eyes. It was probably Roni for the hundredth time letting her know what good kisser Miguel was. But instead, she was surprised to see it was from Ryan.

 _"I'm outside… can you come out? I need some help."_

Ali was confused. Why in the world would he be here at this hour? Was Ryan okay? Her heart pounding, she snuck downstairs and peeked into the living room where her parents were still watching TV. Tiptoeing and holding her breath, she stealthily snuck out the front door and dashed to Ryan who was leaning against his black Trans Am parked on the street.

"Ryan! What in the world are you doing here?"

"Now don't freak out but I need a little help with something… or rather, with someone." He opened the passenger door and Ali was shocked to find an obviously intoxicated Miguel.

He grinned broadly when he saw her. "Ali! My baby sister! I missed you so much tonight! You should have been there!"

"Oh my God, Ryan! What did you do to him?"

"Well, you told me I should get to know him. I thought it would be good for us to have a little male bonding and for me to get him to loosen up a little, but I guess I may loosened him up a little too much. You know, for such a quiet guy he sure can be talkative when he's had a few!" He held his arm out to Miguel and pulled him out of the car to standing.

Miguel put his hand on Ryan's shoulder and Ryan wrapped an arm around him to keep him steady. "Ryan, Ryan for real, you are my best friend. I love you, man."

Ryan smiled patiently and nodded. "I know you do, buddy."

"Shhhh… Miguel, you need to talk quietly. Mom and Dad are going to hear you!" Ali hissed.

Miguel did not lower his volume at all. "Oh yeah, Mom and Dad! I should really go let them know I'm back home…" He started to stumble toward the front door.

"No!" Ryan and Ali chorused, holding him back.

"Don't worry , Miguel, I'll tell them you're here, okay?" Ali told him patiently.

He clumsily felt for his phone in his pocket. "Wait! I should really call Roni… You guys, she is the best girlfriend ever! Not to mention she is hot as…."

"I don't really think its a good idea to call her now." Ali cut him off, taking his phone and slipping it in the back pocket of her shorts. "You should go straight to bed." Ali put her arm around Miguel to help support him.

"Ali, you're way to small to be able to help him up the stairs in this condition!" Ryan pointed out.

She frowned. At 5 foot 9, 160 pounds, Miguel was not a huge guy but he dwarfed her 5'3" 100 pound frame. Ryan was right, there was no way she could sneak him past their parents, especially with him babbling loudly like an idiot. She sighed deeply and ran her fingers through her hair as she often did when she was deep in thought. "Okay, here's what we'll do… you bring him through the back and help him up to his room, and I'll distract my parents. Just keep him quiet and get out as fast as you can!"

"Got it." Ryan put his arm around Miguel's shoulders to steady him and guide him through the back gate. "C'mon, Miguel. Let's get you home."

Meanwhile, Ali snuck back in the front door and into the living room, flipping on the lights. Gina groaned sleepily. "Miguel? Is that you?" she yawned.

"No, still just me, Mom! Um, how are you guys?"

"Tired." Gina answered. "We're looking forward to a weekend off."

"Alison did you hear some noise outside a minute ago? It sounded like someone yelling," Martin asked.

"Noise? Oh, that must have been crazy old Mrs. Harris next door yelling at her cats again. You know how she is."

Suddenly, Martin asked the question she had been dreading. "Is your brother home yet? He called earlier and said he was going out with some friend of his."

"Miguel? Oh, yeah, he, um, went upstairs," Ali replied nervously.

Gina turned to her husband. "You know Martin, I'm glad to see he's socializing a little more! I think dating Roni has been really good for him."

" _So_ good." Ali agreed nervously, nodding and hoping she wasn't sweating.

Martin looked puzzled. "It's strange, he didn't say anything when he came home."

"I think he's not feeling well, Dad. He looked a little nauseous and, um, said something about some bad seafood."

"Maybe I should check on him." Martin stood and walked towards the stairway but Ali ran in front of him.

"No!" she exclaimed loudly, clearly arousing Martin's suspicions. Then she lowered her voice. "I mean, he looked pretty sick. I wouldn't go in there if I were you. Remember that time he threw up on Britt Wheeler in the second grade? We don't want a repeat of that."

"Alison, we've been exposed to every illness you kids have had over the years. Let's just see if he needs anything." Gina replied, she and Martin walking around Alison and up the stairs.

Ali's heart began to pound. Had she given Ryan have enough time to get Miguel up there? Was _Ryan_ still up there? What would her father do if he ran into him? Not to mention what her parents would do when they saw their perfect son acting like a drunk frat boy. She followed them upstairs and held her breath as Gina opened Miguel's bedroom door and entered with Martin following close behind.

"My poor Miguelito, he's already asleep." Gina cooed and Ali breathed a sigh of relief.

Ali poked her head in her brother's room and looked past her parents who hovered over his bed. Sure enough, he was fast asleep, curled up under the covers and his glasses were neatly folded on the nightstand. Silently she prayed he would _stay_ asleep.

Gina gently smoothed Miguel's hair. "He does feel a little warm, must have that flu that's going around."

Just then, Ali saw some movement out of the corner of her eye and had to stifle a startled gasp. Glancing over her shoulder she saw Ryan peeking out of the closet. Frantically, she motioned for him to get back in.

"Alright, let's let him get some sleep, hopefully he'll feel better in the morning." Martin said, putting his arm around Gina and ushering her out of the room.

Ali pretended to follow them, but rushed back in the room as soon as they were out of sight. "Thank goodness he fell asleep!" She whispered opening the closet door to let Ryan out.

"He was out cold even before we got halfway up the stairs, it wasn't easy dragging him in here. And by the way, he's still in his clothes because I definitely draw the line there."

Alison giggled. "Ryan I am so sorry."

"Nah, we had fun! Next time I just gotta remember what a lightweight he is," Ryan laughed.

Ali raised an eyebrow. "Next time?"

Ryan smiled and put his arm around her. "He's a good kid, Ali."

She hugged him tight. "Thanks, Ryan."

The next morning, Ali entered the kitchen to find her brother sitting at the kitchen table, his head resting on one hand. His hair was dissolved and he wore a wrinkled t-shirt that read "Violins: God's gift to the orchestra." He looked positively green.

"Good morning, sunshine!" She teased.

"Please stop speaking," he mumbled.

"Aw, poor Miguelito. How are you feeling?" She rubbed his back gently.

"Like I got hit by a bus! No thanks to Ryan Rivera," he grumbled.

"Oh come on, admit it, you had fun! It didn't kill you to loosen up and have fun once in your life!"

"Tell that to my head. It's pounding like crazy and I lost count of how many times I threw up!"

"Okay, so you overdid it. But up till now the wildest thing you've ever done is to wait in line at Barnes and Noble at midnight while in full Harry Potter costume waiting for the latest book to be released! You're telling me it wasn't _any_ fun hanging out with Ryan last night?" her questioning eyes bored into him.

Miguel sighed. "Maybe a little. But I'm never doing that again!" He rubbed his temples. "The headache the next day is not worth it. And furthermore, if you're asking if Ryan and I are going to hang out all the time and make a 'best friends forever' collage, the answer is no! I still don't trust him, especially taking my little sister to a place like… like where I was last night. Or worse!"

Ali's shoulders slumped. "But Miguel…" she protested as he stood and pushed in his chair.

"I'm not in the mood to argue, Ali. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta figure out a way to study for my calculus test while I feel like a herd of cattle is stampeding through my head."

Ali sighed and rubbed her own temples. Why did her brother have to be so stubborn and full of himself?


	7. Chapter 7

Ali glanced around the kitchen table on Monday morning. High school graduation had passed, 20 year old Miguel had come home from college, and finally summer had arrived, and with it, her 18th birthday. Soon, she and Roni Tubbs would be off to college as well, but for this one moment everything seemed like old times again. Her mother was rifling through her purse on the kitchen counter, her father was sipping a steaming cup of green tea while glancing over the newspaper and Miguel was slurping up the milk from his bowl of Lucky Charms. It all felt so safe and familiar.

Suddenly that all changed when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the incoming text message under the table. The name "Ryan" on the screen made her heart skip a beat. Just last week after a night at the Wall Lounge, the two longtime friends exchanged their first kiss.

Ali casually held her phone under the table and read it. _"You still free tonight, darlin'?"_ She couldn't prevent a smile spreading across her face.

She quickly typed out a reply. _"Of course! Can't wait to see you."_

"Miguel, are you and Roni still going out tonight?" Gina asked as she wiped down the counter.

Miguel rinsed his bowl and put it in the dishwasher. "Yep. I'm giving a few violin lessons this afternoon, but after that I'm meeting her here and we're going to dinner, and then maybe catching a movie."

"Well, be sure to remind her that we hope she'll join us for Ali's birthday dinner tomorrow."

"She already said she's looking forward to it!" He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek before gathering up his keys and wallet and heading out the door.

Ali sighed inwardly and stared at the text messages on her phone under the table. Of course she was happy that Veronica would be joining her birthday dinner, after all, they were best friends and had been ever since they were tiny babies. But now she was also Miguel's very serious girlfriend. The way things were going, in five years or so they would probably be married. Gina and Marty loved Roni as their own daughter and while she was always considered a member of the family, it seemed even more so now that she was dating Miguel. He could bring her to all family events, and everyone always remarked at how they were made for one another.

Things were so different for her and Ryan. Nobody would bat an eye if they saw Miguel and Roni sharing a kiss, but if anyone caught Ryan anywhere near her, there would be hell to pay for sure. "Alison Elena, what are you thinking? He's too old for you," her father would warn. "He has such a rough past," her mother would add. And her elitist brother would call him a "loser" or a variety of other derogatory names. No one would take even five minutes to get to know Ryan and see how he had grown! Now he was a rookie cop with the Miami PD, not the party animal he had once had a reputation for being. No, for now, their relationship would need to be kept quiet from her family. But there was one person she could tell, she just had to time it right.

The doorbell rang and Ali sprung to her feet. She swung the door open and threw her arms around Roni Tubbs, who stood mystified on the front porch.

"Hey, I'm happy to see you too, Ali! But take it easy! Your squishing me!"

"Sorry! I'm glad you're here though! Come inside!" Ali ushered her best friend into the living room and sat beside her on the couch.

"Girl, what in the world is going on? I know I'm awesome and all, but we just saw each other two days ago." She glanced around the living room. "Is Miguel back from work yet?"

"Forget about him for a minute! I wanted you to come over early so I could talk to you about something. It's- it's important."

The smile on Roni's face faded into a look of deep concern. "Something going on?"

Ali nodded and looked down at her hands as she nervously dug her nails into her palm. "Remember the other night? When I said I was going out?"

Roni nodded. "Of course! I'm the one who did your makeup and nails!"

The corner of Ali's mouth turned up into a small smile as she remembered the unusually brightly colored eye makeup she had worn that night, a change from her signature red nail polish and cat-eye look. "Well, Ryan was there. And- as we were leaving…." Ali paused and took a breath.

"C'mon!" Roni urged, her eyes wide. "Spill it!"

"We kissed!" Ali blurted out, and Roni gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh Roni, it was incredible. It was just a kiss, but it felt like so much more."

"I knew it would happen! I just knew it! Oh Ali, that's wonderful!" Roni knew that Ali had a secret crush on Ryan for years. But just as quickly, Roni's smile faded once more. "What will your parents say? You know how they feel about him."

Tears welled in Ali's eyes. "I know. Damnit, it's not fair! I want what you have, to have my family be happy for me, to include Ryan as part of the family. But they wont even give him a chance!" Ali wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Roni nodded sympathetically and looked down at her hands in deep thought. "Maybe I could talk to Miguel? And try and help him understand?"

"Are you crazy? My brother would do anything for you Roni, but I think he'd draw the line at Ryan. I know he doesn't trust him still. For now, I gotta keep this quiet. Okay? Promise you won't say anything?"

Once again Roni looked down at her hands nervously. In the three years they had been dating, she had never considered lying to Miguel; she had always been honest with him, and he with her. She also found herself frustrated with Ali for putting her in the middle.

"Roni?" Ali pressed. "Please, you're the only one I can trust! Besides, I covered for you when you spent the night in Miguel's apartment last month."

Roni inhaled sharply and studied her hands. "Don't worry Ali, your secret is safe with me. After all, that's that best friends are for! And when you're ready to tell everyone the news, you know I'll be here then too."

Ali hugged her friend tight. "I knew I could count on you!"

"So, when are you seeing him again?"

"Tonight! We're going South Beach. I can't wait, it's going to be so romantic!"

Roni grinned, thrilled to see her best friend, who had been through so much in her life, giddy over this newfound love. "Well, don't worry. I'll make sure Miguel and I go someplace far away from South Beach tonight!"

That night, Miguel surprised Roni with a picnic on the beach and together they watched the sun set. Though they saw each other frequently in the summer, the days during the school year that they spent apart were long, so they tried to savor every minute together. Sitting in the sand that evening had been incredibly romantic as she leaned against his shoulder and he gently rubbed her back and placed small kisses on her head. She knew he was fairly conservative as far as public displays of affection, but behind closed doors was a different story. When she suggested heading back to the Castillo home for a bit of alone time, he eagerly obliged.

On the couch, they turned the TV to "The Friday After Next." They had seen the movie a million times, usually with Ali laughing hysterically beside them, but tonight it was mainly background noise as they focused on one another. Miguel slipped his arm around her and kissed her on her neck in a way that let her know the movie was the last thing on his mind. And to be honest, she wanted the very same thing. But when Roni glanced up at Ali's graduation photo on the mantle, she couldn't help wondering how things were going with Ryan. She just couldn't shake the guilty feeling of hiding Ali's secret from the love of her life.

"Roni? You okay?"

She snapped out of her thoughts and saw Miguel looking at her with concerned eyes. Her heart began beating in her chest hard. Would he figure it out? Surely he could read the guilt on her face, he was pretty perceptive, after all.

"Is it- is it my cologne? Ali says it smells like carpet cleaner."

She tried to hide a deep sigh of relief. "No, babe, you smell great! I just… realized I left something in the washer at home. But forget about that, I only want to think about you right now." She gave him a devilish grin and sat in his lap, facing him, and kissed him passionately. He pulled her closer and allowed his hand to slip under her shirt and unhook her bra while she began wrestling blindly with the buckle on his belt and the button on his pants.

"Roni- we should be careful, Ali might come home any minute," he whispered breathily between kisses.

Roni carefully undid the buttons on his shirt one by one. "Don't worry, she won't be home for hours." Miguel raised an eyebrow and Roni nearly gasped, realizing her mistake. She though fast and quickly began doing damage control. "She told me she was seeing a movie. With Lily. From school. It's a late one, so we've got plenty of time."

Miguel squinted thoughtfully and Roni felt like her heart had stopped. "Funny, Ali didn't say anything about that." Then he smiled, shrugged, and she could breathe once again. "But good for her. Nice that she's getting out, and doing something other than sneaking around a club with Rivera."

Roni relaxed once more, and tried to shove aside the guilt about her little lie, and her anxiety about whether Ali and Ryan would ever be accepted. Instead, she melted into Miguel's arms as he pulled her close.

Ali's birthday dawned bright and sunny. She woke up early, but of course not as early as her father, who never missed his early morning swim and exercise. Miguel often joined him when he was home, but today she could still hear him snoring away in his room as she descended the spiral staircase into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Princess!" Martin jumped up from his chair and hugged her tight. "I can't believe my baby girl is 18 today," he sighed wistfully.

"Thanks, Daddy. Me either." And it was true, the notion of being considered an "adult" was still surreal, especially since she still felt she really needed the security of her family.

"Where you headed so early?" Martin asked, settling in his chair and stirring a cup of tea.

"Uncle Sonny asked me to stop by the boat, said he wanted to wish me a happy birthday."

Martin gave her a slightly mysterious smile. "Yes, I believe he mentioned something about that. Give Elvis a pat for me."

Ali laughed, thinking of the aging alligator who still stood guard aboard her godfather Sonny Crockett's sailboat. "Will do!"

"Ali, Darlin'!" Sonncy Crockett waved enthusiastically as Ali stepped aboard the St. Vitus Dance. At his feet, Elvis gave a low growl.

"Hi, Uncle Sonny! And hi to you too, Elvis."

"Happy birthday, sweetheart. Can't believe little Ali is all grown up!" His eyes glazed over for a moment. "C'mon, I've got something for you."

Curious, Ali followed him to the marina parking lot. There, gleaning in the sunlight, was Sonny's white Ferrari, a still gorgeous relic from his days in Vice. It was no secret that after Caitlin's death, he was left well-off, but she remembered her father saying how surprised he had been when Sonny insisted on purchasing the car from the department, considering all the memories it held. He glanced at the car, as if he were remembering years of his life in just a few moments., then looked back at Ali. "It's yours, darlin'."

"Wait… mine?" Ali stood there with her mouth hanging open for a moment, as if she were trying to figure out the meaning of his words. Then she shook her head slowly. "Uncle Sonny, I can't! It's too much."

"Nah, it's nothing. I don't know why I held onto it all these years, I'm getting up there, but I taught you how to drive in it, Miguel and Billy too. I just thought it was time that it be enjoyed by someone else. And Ali, I never had a daughter, but I love you as if you were my own. I'm so proud of the young woman you've grown into even with all the things you've faced."

Ali's face broke into a huge grind and threw her arms around her uncle. "Thank you, Uncle Sonny! I can't thank you enough."

"It's nothin', sweetie. Just make sure you let Elvis have a ride every once in a while." he winked and patted her on the back. "So, how does it feel to be an official adult?"

She ran her hand over the smooth, white finish of the car absentmindedly. "I dunno, I guess it hasn't hit me yet. Uncle Sonny? Can I tell you something?"

"Of course, you know you can, anytime."

She took in a deep breath. "Ryan and I… are dating."

To her surprise, Sonny just smiled, with no hint of surprise on his face. "Well I was wonderin' when that was going to happen!"

"Really?"

"Sweetheart, I've seen how you look at him. And how he's been lookin' at you lately. He's head over heels! And so are you, Ali."

"It's that obvious?" She sighed. "I should be happy, the happiest I've been in years! And I am, but still- My parents are going to freak out!"

"You mean, they don't know?"

Ali shook her head and crossed her arms, staring sadly at the ground. "You know my dad, and how he was when Ryan showed up at the hospital. He still thinks Ryan is some 21 year old playboy. I don't think he'll even give him a chance!"

"Aw, now c'mon sweetheart. I've known your dad a long, long time. And sure, he comes across as tough to those who don't know him. But you and I both know he is a fierce protector, and is also very reasonable. If he sees how Ryan treats you, and how hard he is working as a cop, he'll come around. Give him a chance."

"Yeah, well, what about Miguel? He's so damned stubborn. He and Ryan even hung out a few years ago, and I thought he was coming around, but when it comes to me, he still mouths off about what a loser Ryan is, about how he can't be trusted, about how his car is 'compensating for something,' it's just frustrating. I just feel like there's no hope for them, they have nothing at all in common! Miguel is into classical music, and Ryan is into classic rock. Miguel likes reading and Ryan likes working on his car. They just couldn't be more different."

Sonny was thoughtful for a moment. "You know, they do have something in common. Something bigger than all that."

Ali was skeptical. "They do?"

Sonny nodded. "They both love you a ton. Ryan adores you, and your brother thinks the world of you. You know, two years ago, I had offered the car to him when he turned 18. And you know what? He insisted that you should have it, that you would enjoy it more."

Ali thought quietly for a moment. She was surprised by this revelation, but when she really considered it, things had always been like that with Miguel. From the times he let her cuddle his beloved stuffed bunny when she skinned her knee as a toddler, to him scouring the streets of Miami to find her whenever she snuck out as a young teenager, he had always looked out for her. Sure, they had their fights, but at the end of the day, they would stick together through thick and thin.

"Give Miguel time, Ali. He's so much your dad, but he has some growing up to do. Trust me, you'll all get there."

"Thanks, Uncle Sonny."

For the first time, Ali felt a spark of optimism about the future. Maybe, just maybe, things would work out in the end. That day just couldn't come fast enough for her.


End file.
